Latest from Gov. Chris Christie on the DREAM Act

Since it’s shaping up as perhaps the biggest issue of the mostly low-key, lame-duck legislative session, here’s a partial transcript of what Gov. Chris Christie had to say at a Statehouse news conference today about “tuition equality” — aka the New Jersey DREAM Act, the shorthand descriptions for the idea of allowing children who are undocumented immigrants brought to New Jersey in their youth by their parents to qualify for in-state tuition rates at New Jersey public colleges and universities.

A quick summary: Christie had spoken out against the idea in the past but explained in October — after coming out in favor of it during a campaign-season speech to the Latino Leadership Alliance — that he had been reluctant because of the cost, not the concept. He said the state’s doing better financially and is able to sustain it. But he opposes the version of the bill that’s now moving through the Legislature on a few counts, primarily that it would make such students eligible for state Tuition Aid Grants, or TAG.

On to today’s remarks, which included at least five references to being “taken to the cleaners,” most of which didn’t make the transcript below:

“I continue to be firmly in favor of in-state tuition for the children of undocumented folks who came here under no decision of their own. I continue to be for that and will be for it, and I’m hoping that the Legislature will see their way to not lard additional things on there that have nothing to do with tuition equality.

“I’ll say to you again, when I stood before the Latino Leadership Alliance I picked my words very carefully. I said I am for tuition equality. And I am for tuition equality. I didn’t say I was for TAG grants. I said I was for tuition equality. This whole idea that there’s one bill, only one bill, it could have only meant the Senate bill, well, until yesterday, the Assembly bill was for tuition equality with no TAG grant eligibility. So this whole idea that somehow I could have only possibly been talking about the Senate bill, well there was an Assembly bill at the exact same time that didn’t have anything to do with tuition assistance grants. I didn’t say I was for the Senate bill.”

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“I’d refer you to my answer in the second debate, I think to a question that Michael (Aron) asked me about this topic. And I was very specific. I said we have to work with the Legislature to find a budgetary reasonable way to provide tuition equality and that I was hopeful we could work that out in the lame-duck. Well, let me ask you a question: If I was for the pending Senate bill, what would I be looking to work out?

“I said I was for budgetarily responsible tuition equality for the state, and I still am. And if the Legislature sends me a bill on tuition equality, I will sign it, happily sign it. If they send me things that lard other more expensive programs on top of it, then we’re going to have a disagreement.

“And I hope that what we all decide to do is to put the interests of these DREAMers ahead of politics. I want the DREAMers to get tuition equality so that the children who achieve and want to go to college get an opportunity to do so at the same rate that other children who are living in this state have. But that doesn’t include other program eligibility. And when they try to lard that on top of it, I’m going to object.

“And so I want all the folks out there to understand this position very clearly from me. I am for tuition equality. I believe with the recent investment we’ve made in our colleges and university that they are in a better position to be able to sustain the additional cost that it will be with them getting in-state tuition from more folks than they did before. I think it’s the right thing to do. Send me a clean bill I’ll sign it. Send me a bill that lards new spending on there and overreaches, then we’re going to have an objection and we’re going to have to figure out a way to work it out. But let me also be clear: I want to work it out because I want this to happen for the young men and women in this state. But I won’t be taken to the cleaners. So let’s all be fair with each other. You want compromise, let’s compromise. Let’s be smart.”

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“I want us to do everything we can not to make us a magnet. I think the biggest thing, but not the only thing, in the legislation that makes us a magnet is the TAG eligibility. But I think also there are ways for us to clean up the out-of-state problem that would not run afoul of federal law, and I’m ready to work with the Legislature on that in a way that I think would do no violence to people’s ability to access tuition equality.”

“We don’t want to lard things onto this that go beyond the principle that we stand for, which is we’re for tuition equality. And I want the kids that have been here years and years and years and who we’ve paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to educate through the elementary, middle school and high school system to be able to go to college in New Jersey at an affordable rate if that’s what they choose to do because that’s good for New Jersey’s future and that’s good for those children’s futures and their families. I want to do that. But I am not, Charlie, you know what’s going on here. Give them the belt, they want your pants. And I’m just not going to get into that game.”

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About Michael Symons

Michael Symons has covered seven governors while working in Gannett's Statehouse Bureau -- a stint which actually only stretches back to 2000, but the door revolves quickly in New Jersey politics. He's co-author of the biography "Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power."

About the Authors

Bob JordanBob Jordan has covered state, county and muncipal governments for the past 10 years. He has also covered the gaming industry and has been a sports team beat writer for NHL, NBA and major league baseball teams.E-mail Bob

John SchoonejongenJohn Schoonejongen is state editor for Gannett New Jersey newspapers. He has reported and edited at New Jersey newspapers from Salem County to Passaic County, writing about everything from state politics to lost pigs on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Born in Camden County, he still speaks with a southern New Jersey accent, much to his wife's annoyance.E-mail John

Michael SymonsMichael Symons has covered seven governors while working in Gannett's Statehouse Bureau -- a stint which actually only stretches back to 2000, but the door revolves quickly in New Jersey politics. He's co-author of the biography "Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power."E-mail Michael